On-Campus Residency Requirement

Residency Requirement - Residence Hall Policy

The Board of Trustees of Ball State University approved the following policy relating to student residency that became effective for students entering the university beginning in the fall 2005 semester:

All students are required to live in university housing for two semesters unless they will be 21 years of age prior to the beginning of the term for which they are enrolling, have 24 or more semester hours of Ball State University accepted credits achieved after their graduation from high school, are married or are a custodial parent of a dependent child, or are living with their parents in the parents' primary residence within a 60-mile radius of campus. The address of the parents at the time of a student's application for admission to Ball State will be considered the parents' primary residence. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life prior to signing any off-campus lease to determine their eligibility to live off-campus.

Students who qualify for an exemption from this policy include:

Students who live with their parents within a 60-mile radius of campus. (Proof of residency will be required.)

Students enrolled in fewer than 9 semester hours.

Students with primary custody of a minor child. (Proof of custody will be required.)

Students who are in a marriage recognized by the State of Indiana. (Copy of the Marriage Certificate will be required.)

Students who will be 21 prior to the first day of classes of their first semester of enrollment at Ball State University.

Ball State students who have lived in university residence halls for two semesters but not achieved 24 credit hours.

*Having already signed a lease with an off-campus landlord will not be considered as a reason for an exemption.

All students who believe they qualify for an exemption for any of the reasons above must complete and submit a Residency Exemption Request Form and required documentation. These materials should be received by the Office of Housing and Residence Life no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the first semester of enrollment. You are encouraged to NOT make any commitments for housing until you receive a written response from this office.